TRIADELPHIA RESERVOIR CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT #50 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20th, 1997 The fiftieth Triadelphia CBC was a resounding success from start to finish, with perfect weather followed by a pot-luck dinner tally-rally, which we hope will become a new tradition! In a season marked by highly unusual "el Niņo" weather conditions, count day had moderate temperatures ranging from 25 degrees F by the Patuxent River at dawn to an almost balmy 60 degrees F by mid-afternoon. No new species were seen this year, but we did set records for high numbers for seven species (Hooded and Common Mergansers, Black Vulture, Bald Eagle, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and European Starling) and tied the old highs for three others (Green-winged Teal, Merlin and Red-headed Woodpecker). The woodpecker and nuthatch numbers don't surprise me so much, since both species have been seen in good numbers in our area since mid-September, but this was only the seventh year that Merlins have been seen on the count, and they seem to be wintering in our area more and more. As exciting as the rise in Bald Eagles was, the dramatic increase in Starlings over last seasons ten year low seems cause for concern. Hopefully this was just a fluke and not an indication of the ever increasing over-development our area has seen in recent years. I received a note written on a tally sheet from Howard County stating that the area is shrinking because of development and that CBC participants were approached about what they were doing by folks claiming private property rights, etc. even though they were not trespassing (thanks to Marty Chestem and Helen Zeichner). I experienced the same thing on the count this year in Montgomery County, on parkland that borders a private horse farm. The count circle does indeed seem to be shrinking! Seventy-one field observers saw eighty-five species of birds, totaling nearly 130,000 individuals (last year we had 68 observers and 91 species). Thanks to all who participated this year and especially for extra help to the following: Larry Iager at W.S.S.C. for his continued permission to trespass on watershed property on count day; Rob Gibbs for taking over as leader for Area 7 and for his help gaining us access to the Brookside Nature Center for our tally; to Howard Youth for taking on the leadership of Area 5 and doing a fantastic job of organizing that area even though a case of chicken pox kept him from doing the count; to all who brought food or drinks to the tally pot-luck dinner and helped make it a success; and to Norm and Fran Saunders, Kathy Neugebauer, and Darius Ecker for helping to bring you these results via computer. This is another innovation started this year, and one which we hope will continue into the next century, as the National Audubon Society prepares to bring us the full historical database of Christmas Bird Counts, stretching all the way back to 1900, on its new web-site! Nancy and I would like to wish you all a belated Happy New (birding) Year, and we hope you get to enjoy some of the special treats that winter has brought our way - winter gulls, nuthatches, and crossbills. Rick and Nancy Sussman Ashton, MD Participants (area leaders in BOLD): D.H. Michael Bowen, Frank Boyle, Carl Brudin III, Rod Burley, Marty Chestem, Dennis Coskren, Jane Coskren, Lynn Davidson, Diane Davis, L. Wesley Earp, Darius Ecker, Daniel Edelstein, Rob Etgen, Jeffrey Friedhoffer, Linda Friedland, Rob Gibbs, Gregory Gough, Jim Green, Joe Halpin, Jane Hill, William Hill, Barbara Holloman, Lenore Holt, David Holmes, Marshall Howe, Mike Kerwin, Jay Kilian, Gisela Locherer, Cynthia Loeper, Nancy Magnusson, Rich Mason, Michael Moffatt, David Mozurkewich, G. Dwight Mueller, Cecily Nabors, Kathy Neugebauer, Daryl Olson, Richard Orr, Peter Osenton, Dave Pardoe, Jeremy Pearse, Susan Polniaszek, Andy Rabin, Gemma Radko, Chandler Robbins, Fran Saunders, Norm Saunders, Lydia Schindler, Kurt Schwarz, Jay Sheppard, Suzanne Shoemaker, Steve Smith, Jo Solem, Charles Stirrat, Jamie St.Onge, Paul Sunshine, Rick Sussman, Debi Talbott, Winifred Walker-Jones, Mark Wallace, Hal Wierenga, Sybil Williams, Jane Winer, Carole Winter, Jeff Winter, Robert Winter, Paco Wong, Mike Young, Howard Youth, Helen Zeichner and Richard Zusi. Triadelphia Reservoir CBC Species Summary 1948-1997 Last Years Year High High Comments for Seen Seen Count Year 1997 ==================================================================== Common Loon 9 1992 2 1988 Red-throated Loon 1 1987 1 1987 Pied-billed Grebe 36 1997 6 1996 Horned Grebe 23 1995 7 1961 Red-necked Grebe 1 1951 1 1951 Western Grebe 2 1959 2 1953 Great Blue Heron 42 1997 44 1993 Great Egret 1 1984 1 1984 Green-backed Heron 2 1988 1 1984 Tundra Swan 23 1996 316 1984 Mute Swan 3 1987 2 1962 Snow Goose 8 1996 7 1994 Canada Goose 42 1997 13,880 1983 Greater White-fronted Goose 1 1990 1 1990 Wood Duck 18 1995 18 1961 Green-winged Teal 25 1997 24 1997 -- tied 1974 American Black Duck 50 1997 2,000 1953 Mallard 50 1997 2,500 1955 Blue-winged Teal 1 1973 1 1973 Northern Pintail 24 1997 25 1981 Gadwall 23 1996 22 1978 Eurasian Wigeon 1 1996 1 1996 American Wigeon 44 1997 75 1958 Northern Shoveler 4 1978 7 1965 Canvasback 13 1996 14 1975 Redhead 13 1987 8 1976 Ring-necked Duck 27 1997 98 1991 Greater Scaup 2 1976 1 1973 Lesser Scaup 13 1991 25 1977 Common Goldeneye 23 1997 63 1983 Bufflehead 30 1997 32 1984 Oldsquaw 4 1975 5 1975 Hooded Merganser 38 1997 57 1997 -- new high! Common Merganser 46 1997 274 1997 -- new high! Red-breasted Merganser 5 1994 6 1988 Ruddy Duck 19 1997 12 1951 Black Vulture 44 1997 183 1997 -- new high! Turkey Vulture 50 1997 722 1992 Bald Eagle 14 1997 5 1997 -- new high! Northern Goshawk 4 1996 1 1967 Northern Harrier 36 1995 12 1973 Sharp-shinned Hawk 42 1997 25 1993 Cooper's Hawk 37 1997 9 1991 Red-shouldered Hawk 49 1997 77 1981 Red-tailed Hawk 50 1997 89 1993 Rough-legged Hawk 11 1989 3 1986 American Kestrel 50 1997 46 1975 Merlin 7 1997 2 1997 -- tied 1994 Peregrine Falcon 1 1963 1 1963 Ruffed Grouse 1 1978 5 1978 Ring-necked Pheasant 29 1995 31 1982 Wild Turkey 2 1996 2 1996 Northern Bobwhite 37 1995 208 1974 American Coot 24 1997 80 1956 Killdeer 48 1997 108 1984 Common Snipe 35 1997 29 1990 American Woodcock 20 1997 4 1990 Laughing Gull 3 1994 6 1976 Bonaparte's Gull 4 1991 23 1987 Ring-billed Gull 35 1997 5,604 1992 Herring Gull 33 1997 8,238 1987 Iceland Gull 7 1994 4 1994 Thayer's Gull 2 1994 2 1994 Lesser Black-backed Gull 13 1995 10 1993 Glaucous Gull 4 1994 1 1990 Great Black-backed Gull 13 1995 128 1994 Rock Dove 24 1997 1,311 1981 Mourning Dove 50 1997 2,567 1993 Barn Owl 9 1984 3 1977 Eastern Screech-Owl 41 1997 25 1961 Great Horned Owl 37 1997 28 1986 Barred Owl 43 1997 13 1977 Long-eared Owl 7 1986 6 1986 Short-eared Owl 2 1983 1 1978 Northern Saw-whet Owl 9 1995 6 1995 Belted Kingfisher 48 1997 48 1993 Red-headed Woodpecker 17 1997 12 1997 --tied 1966 Red-bellied Woodpecker 50 1997 443 1993 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 40 1997 31 1993 Downy Woodpecker 50 1997 336 1982 Hairy Woodpecker 50 1997 87 1993 Northern Flicker 50 1997 308 1993 Pileated Woodpecker 37 1997 90 1993 Eastern Phoebe 26 1997 7 1993 Horned Lark 35 1995 375 1966 Blue Jay 50 1997 1,528 1981 Northern Raven 1 1978 1 1978 American Crow 50 1997 26,337 1985 Fish Crow 37 1997 6,817 1984 Black-capped Chickadee 17 1983 86 1954 Carolina Chickadee 50 1997 1,229 1993 Tufted Titmouse 50 1997 813 1997 -- new high! Red-breasted Nuthatch 36 1997 112 1997 -- new high! White-breasted Nuthatch 50 1997 286 1993 Brown Creeper 50 1997 90 1982 Carolina Wren 50 1997 513 1993 Bewick's Wren 1 1954 1 1954 House Wren 12 1996 3 1975 Winter Wren 49 1997 56 1974 Golden-crowned Kinglet 49 1997 241 1975 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 42 1997 26 1996 Eastern Bluebird 50 1997 375 1993 Hermit Thrush 44 1997 60 1994 American Robin 43 1997 678 1991 Gray Catbird 25 1997 17 1984 Northern Mockingbird 50 1997 601 1994 Brown Thrasher 29 1997 9 1974 American Pipit 18 1995 150 1974 Cedar Waxwing 42 1997 1,149 1984 Northern Shrike 1 1994 1 1994 Loggerhead Shrike 26 1984 9 1954 European Starling 50 1997 18,734 1997 -- new high! Yellow-rumped Warbler 48 1997 123 1971 Pine Warbler 3 1993 1 1968 Prairie Warbler 1 1995 1 1995 Palm Warbler 4 1996 1 1949 Ovenbird 2 1991 1 1991 Common Yellowthroat 9 1997 2 1991 Yellow-breasted Chat 4 1995 2 1972 Western Tanager 1 1977 1 1977 Northern Cardinal 50 1997 1,401 1980 Dickcissel 3 1967 1 1958 Indigo Bunting 2 1996 1 1991 Eastern Towhee 46 1997 90 1996 American Tree Sparrow 50 1997 544 1955 Chipping Sparrow 19 1996 24 1972 Field Sparrow 50 1997 609 1975 Vesper Sparrow 8 1983 2 1959 Savannah Sparrow 38 1997 59 1991 Grasshopper Sparrow 1 1963 1 1963 Fox Sparrow 35 1997 73 1994 Song Sparrow 50 1997 1,233 1982 Lincoln's Sparrow 5 1995 1 1991 Swamp Sparrow 49 1997 106 1976 White-throated Sparrow 50 1997 3,502 1980 White-crowned Sparrow 48 1997 111 1974 Dark-eyed Junco 50 1997 2,561 1982 Snow Bunting 5 1994 14 1992 Red-winged Blackbird 42 1997 12,337 1983 Eastern Meadowlark 50 1997 384 1959 Yellow-headed Blackbird 1 1985 1 1985 Rusty Blackbird 23 1997 163 1990 Common Grackle 42 1997 100,000 1983 Brown-headed Cowbird 42 1997 3,895 1970 Northern Oriole 5 1970 1 1952 Purple Finch 42 1997 1,007 1982 House Finch 31 1997 1,789 1993 Red Crossbill 3 1977 7 1972 White-winged Crossbill 1 1965 6 1965 Common Redpoll 3 1990 3 1959 Pine Siskin 18 1995 84 1977 American Goldfinch 50 1997 657 1981 Evening Grosbeak 26 1996 229 1963 House Sparrow 50 1997 1,425 1982